Resilient wheel



c. A. MENDENHALL.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

ATION FILED AUG.2

Patented Oct. M, 111

3.8HEETS SHEET I.

C. A. MENDENHALL.

RESILIENT WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED AUG-2. 1922.

1922.. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4 2 h M M H m P C. A. MENDENHALL.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2. 1922.

Patented Oct. 24, 1922,,

3 SHEETS$HEET 3.

jvidual suporting arm of spring material for 'CHARLJES A. MENDENHALL, OF FARIMTLAND, INDIANA.

nnsrnrnnr W EEL.

Application-filed August 2, 1922. Serial No. 579,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknownthat 1, CHARLES A. l t innuen- HALL, a citizen of the United States, residingat l armlandyin the county oi": Randolph and State of Indiana, .have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Resilient Wheels; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, ,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others make and use the same.

My present invention. relates to resilient vehicle wheels, more particularly for automobile use, as exemplified by U. S. Letters Patent Numbered 1,120,514, issued to me under date of December 8, 1914; Numbers 1,- 295,555 and 1,295,556, issued to me under date of February 25, 1919.; and particularly No.1,366st07, issued to me January 25, 1921.

This invention has for its primary object the production of resilient or cushion wheels, Which employ neither outercasings norinner tubes, andwhich are therefore both puncture and blow-out prooi.

The inventionhas for a further object the production-ofwheels oi'the character aforesaidpwhich are comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, extremely durable and cilicient in the accomplishment at their intended purposes, and not likely to become deranged or to get out of order. r urther object isthe production of airless tires and wheels which require no inflating or pumping, and which at'the same time are even more resilient than pneumatic tires A further object is the production Wheels having airless tires-formed 01 a continuous contacting {series of circumierentially arranged elastictread members under slight compression, each carried by its indislrilled inthe art to which it appertains to l affording additional resiliency.

l'Vith the foregoing and other objects in view the present invention consists in the general arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and pointed outin the claims following.

In the accompanying drawings which illust-rate a: practicalembodiment of mypresent invention, and whereon corresponding numerals refer to like parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ota wheel and resilient tire, constituting my invention, assembled in operative relation;

l1 153,12 15.51. relatively enlarged itragmentary view in side elevation of the invention partly l'unlien away for the purpose oi disclosing the operative connections or sprin supporting arms;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the inventiontaken on the zigzag line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 41 is a plan view of one supporting spring detached, together with its elastic' roaid-contacting shoe;

Fig. 5 is also a plan view cl twoa ijacent and interlocking shoes;

Fig.6 is a side elevation like big. 1, 051 my invention arranged and adaptedtor use as a nick detachable structure;

*ig. 7 is a transverse sectional view showinga wheel rim and myrnodified term of quick detachable tire applied thereto; and

Fig; 8 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing theinodiiied structure represented'by Figs. 6 and 7.

lieiterence be ng had to the accompanying drawings and numerals thereon, it will be observed that the invention comprises a midtiplicity of individual tread members in contact and in circumferential alinement, a corresponding series of. individual spring supports for said tread, members, and a rim structure cooperativelyarranged.

To this cnda military wheel is formed as .per i i s. i. and 2 with the usual hub, spokes, and rim; or there is formed a detachable tire such as indicated by l igs. (3. 7 and 8, both einljiodying the novel cliaracteristies of my present invention, and both containing a continuous circum'l erential series of tread blocks or shoes 1 or rubber or other elastic material, in contact and in circumtterential. alinement, having novel interlocking correlative surfaces as best shown by l igs. l, 5 andS.

These shoes 1 are counterparts of each other and are therefore interchangeable. They are iormed with a vertical depression 2, and laterally intersecting depressions 3, 3, in their rear faces, and with corresponding projections 2 and 3, 3 upon their advance faces throughout the entire cycle the shoes, which arethus effectually interlocked against lateral or vertical displacement.

The arrangement of preferred form of said interlocking grooves 2, 3, 3, and projections 2, 3, 3, is best shown in plan by Fig. 4 of the drawings.

in practice the resilient shoes 1 aforesaid are assembled under suitable compression which further assists in maintaining them in operative and interlocked relation and, as specifically set forth in my prior 1 atent No. 1,366,07, they are mounted upon the lower extremities of U-shaped springs 1 provided for that purpose. The lower eX- tremities of said springs i are each provided with an upward central kink at as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 52 and 4-, for the purpose of further preventing possible rotation of the shoes 1 upon their respective s-iupporting springs, and it will be particularly noted that-the upward trend of said kink or bend. at will permit the shoe to wear down to a greater extent than if bent in a downward or opposite direction as in my former structure. In molding these shoes 1.

. in position upon the springs 4i aforesaid, it

has been found advisable to coat the curved end of said springs with a preparation of glue, and to then wind the part so coated with a strip of tape or cotton fabric 5 to which latter the crude rubber will more readily adhere prior to the vulcanizing process.

The springs 4 at their opposite or inner ends are angled inwardly as at 6, 6, and are projected through oppositely disposed annular rim flanges 7, 7, which latter in turn are securely bolted to suitable couplings or equi-distant space blocks 8, and are provided upon their outer faces with spaced lugs 9, between which the springs 4; function as set forth in my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 1,366,407. The inner peripheries of said flanges 7 are provided with slight radial extensions 7' at equidistant points between spokes as shown by Figs. 1, 2,6 and 8.

The. present construction however. by reason of its triformed depressions 2, :5 and 3, and interlocking projections 2'. 2 and 3, precludes all. possibility of accidental. displacement of shoes 1., after the several coupling or spacing members 8, the annular rim-flanges 7, 7, and the angular ends of all springs 4- have been assembled as aforesaid. As an additional means however, of binding the component parts of my present construction securely together, outside annular flanges or plates 10, 10, are provided, and securely bolted to both rim-flanges 7, 7, being offset therefrom by the lugs 9 aforesaid, and directly crossing the innermost ends of all springs 4;.

When th: aforesaid resilient tire is designed and arranged for use as a quick detachable structure, an ordinary wheel felloe 11, shown by Figs. 7 and 8, is employed. To this is secured an ordinary exterior felloe-ba-nd or seat 12 having at regular intervals transverse pockets 12, as best shown by Fig. 7, into which the radial extensions 7" may be introduced laterally, thus carrying in cluster, all tire parts heretofore described into the relative positions indicated by Figs 7 and 8. This accomplished, ordinary and well understood retaining lugs 15 are secured to the wheel felloe 11 by means of bolts 14-, in positions to close all transverse pockets 12 aforesaid, and to bear directly upon the outermost of rim flanges 7, thus retaining same securely in the position indicated by Figs. 7 and 8.

The foregoing being a description of my present invention, its use and operation as a resilient wheel. for vehicles, particularly automobiles, is quite obvious, and need not be herein enlarged upon. The various mechanical and functional advantages ascribed to the structure of my former patents are also present in this, but in a greater degree of perfection, and in addition quick detachability and replacement of my im proved form of tires is provided for.

While I have now set forth the best form of construction at present known to me. it should at the same time be understoml that various changes in the arrangement and. combination of parts may be made and sub stituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims:

Having thus described my present invention what I now claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A resilient wheel of the class describmi, including in combination oppositely disposed rim-flanges, a series of tire springs secured to said flanges, and a continuous elastic the formed of a circum't'ercntia1 series of independent tread members carried by said springs and. interlocked laterally and radially upon their cont-acting surfaces.

2. A resilient wheel of the class described including in combiirition oppositely disposed rim-ilanges. a series of tire springs secured to said lianp s, and a continuous elastic tire formed of a circular series of independent tread members carried by said springs in circumferential alincmcnt and provided with complementary depressions and projections for interlocking them against lateral and radial displaccn'leut.

3. A resilient wheel of the class described, including in combination oppositely disposed rim-flanges, a continuous elastic tire made up of independent tread members in contact and in circumferential alincment interlocked laterally and radially by means of complementary ridges and depressions in said contacting surfaces, and a series of tire springs secured to said flanges each. having an upward bend at its outer extremity embedded in its particular tread member.

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4. A resilient wheel ofthe class described In testimony whereof I affix my signaincluding in combination oppositely disposed ture, in presence of two subscribing Wit- 10 rim-flanges, a series of tire springs secured nesses. to said flanges, a corresponding series of circumferentially continuous tread members each carried by one of said springs, and Witnesses: quick detachable means for securing said R. G. ISENBARGER, structure to a Wheel rim. MILDRED E. J oNEs.

CHARLES A. MENDENI-IALL. 

